I.  D.  123. 
5 91-2.000. 


Edison  System 

OF 

Electric  Railways. 


Edison  General  Electric  Co., 

Edison  Building, 

Broad  Street,  New  York. 

% 


MAY,  1891. 

LIBRARY 
OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


The  Edison  Overhead  System  for 
Electric  Railway  Work. 


The  overhead  trolley  wire  for  the  conveyance  of  the 
^energy  of  the  dynamos  to  the  motors  upon  the  cars  of 
street  railways  is  the  only  method  yet  devised  which  is 
thoroughly  satisfactory. 

Underground  conduits  for  the  bare  wire  or  working 
conductor,  though  put  in  without  regard  to  cost,  and 
given  every  opportunity  for  success,  when  practically 
operated  and  subjected  to  rain,  snow,  mud,  ice  and  the 
accidents  of  everyday  use,  have  in  most  instances  proved 
to  be  failures.  In  Boston  and  other  cities,  where  they 
have  been  installed  on  a large  scale,  their  use  has  been 
abandoned  for  the  present.  The  underground  conduit 
with  an  open  slot  is  necessarily  more  complicated  and  is 
liable  to  interruptions  during  heavy  storms,  owing  to 
the  difficulty  of  drainage. 

The  feeder  wires  or  main  conductors  are  now  in 
many  cases  placed  underground  in  waterproof  insulated 
tubes,  leaving  only  the  trolley  wire  or  working  con- 
ductor suspended  over  the  track.  This  construction  is 
is  now  used  by  the  Edison  Company  where  objections 
are  raised  to  the  ordinary  overhead  methods,  and  has 
been  in  successful  practical  operation  for  a long  time 
on  several  of  the  most  extensive  plants  in  the  country. 

Thelnost  economical  and  practical  method  of  current 
distribution  now  in  use,  is  the  Single  Trolley  overhead 
system,  and  that  system  of  overhead  wiring  for  railway 
purposes,  which  is  the  least  obtrusive,  the  lightest,  and 
the  least  complicated,  is  the  most  desirable. 


973280 


4 


The  Feeder  System. 

The  distribution  circuit  of  the  Edison  System  is  the 
most  simple,  the  most  reliable  and  least  unsightly  of 
any  yet  devised,  and  has  characteristics  which  are  cov- 
ered by  fundamental  Letters  Patent. 

It  is  practically  impossible  to  distribute  electricity 
over  a large  system  and  keep  the  pressure  approxi- 
mately constant  at  the  various  points  of  the  line  without 
using  the  feeder  system,  or  a modification  of  it. 

The  cars  can  be  run  nearly  as  fast  at  the  most 
distant  points  from  the  power  station  as  they  can  close 
to  it.  With  the  feeder  system  the  cars  can  be  operated 
satisfactorily  with  a smaller  loss  of  power  on  the  line 
than  where  the  trolley  wire  is  the  only  conductor. 

The  overhead  work  is  divided  into  sections  so  that 
if  an  accident  occurs  only  the  cars  on  the  section 
affected  are  stopped.  The  heavy  grades  or  curves  of 
the  line  are  reinforced  by  feeders  so  that  the  motors 
obtain  the  power  neccessary  to  perform  the  extra  duty 
required  of  them  at  such  points. 

It  is  a well  known  fact  that  by  the  Edison  System 
cars  can  be  operated  with  a much  less  expenditure  of 
electrical  power  than  by  any  other  .system.  This  means 
a saving  of  fuel,  and  a reduction  in  the  size  and  cost  of 
the  power  plant.  In  other  words,  the  cost  of  operation 
per  passenger  carried  or  per  car  mile  operated  will  be 
less,  and  the  the  fixed  charges  for  interest,  etc.,  de- 
pendent upon  the  capital  invested  will  also  be  reduced. 

Overhead  and  Ground  Circuits. 

In  the  Edison  System  the  electric  circuit  consists  of 
two  parts,  the  overhead  and  the  ground  circuit. 

In  providing  for  the  return  of  the  current,  the  rails 
are  grounded  and  form  one  side  of  the  circuit.  They 
are  tied  together  by  iron  wires  riveted  to  each  rail  end 
and  properly  connected.  * 

The  other  side  of  the  circuit  consists,  in  part,  of  a 
hard  drawn  silicon  bronze  wire  of  small  size  but  great 
tensile  strength,  which  is  suspended  from  seventeen  to 
twenty  feet  above  the  track. 


5 


This  trolley  wire,  or  working  conductor,  is  carried 
over  the  centre  of  the  track  by  span  wires  running 
from  pole  to  pole  across  the  street,  or  by  brackets 
attached  to  poles  set  on  one  side  only.  When  the 
streets  are  broad  and  double  tracks  are  used,  the  poles 
may  be  set  between  the  tracks  with  bracket  arms  ex- 
tending on  both  sides.  No  change  in  the  size  of  the 
trolley  wire  is  required  with  increase  in  the  number  of 
cars,  or  an  extension  of  the  line. 

The  size  of  the  trolley  wire  is  entirely  independent 
of  the  number  of  cars  to  be  operated  or  the  length  of 
the  line,  since  the  main  portion  of  the  current  is  carried 
in  a main  line  wire  or  conductor  running  parallel  to  it, 
and  connected  to  it  at  intervals  of  400  to  500  feet  by  sub 
feed-in  wires.  • 

This  main  wire  is  of  a size  sufficient  to  carry  the 
current  necessary  to  operate  all  the  cars  over  the  entire 
length  of  line,  up  all  the  grades,  with  the  maximum 
number  of  passengers,  and  is  itself  supplied,  at  suitable 
points,  by  reinforcing  feed  wires  connected  directly 
with  the  station. 


Reliability  of  Service. 

By  the  use  of  parallel  conductors,  and  by  means  of 
special  cutouts  for  line  sections,  the  power  can  (even  in 
case  of  an  accident  to  the  line)  always  be  furnished  to 
the  cars,  except  immediately  at  the  point  of  breakage. 

Light  Overhead  Supporting  Wires  Possible. 

The  main  conductor  wire  being  carried  upon  the 
poles  themselves,  the  span  wires  are  not  subjected  to  the 
enormous  strain  which  is  inevitable  when  the  current 
is  carried  solely  in  the  working  conductor  or  trolley 
wire,  because  of  the  large  size  of  wire  necessary  in  that 
case. 

System  of  Cutouts  for  Lines  Sections. 

In  any  system  of  distribution  safety  devices  are 
interposed  between  the  dynamos  and  the  outside  cir- 
cuit, as  a protection  from  injury  due  to  a sudden  over- 
load caused  by  accidents  to  the  line. 


6 


In  addition  to  these  main  cutouts  or  safety  devices 
the  overhead  work  of  the  Edison  System  has  cutouts 
interposed  at  the  intersection  of  every  lateral  or  sub-  • 
feeder  with  the  main  feeder,  thereby  furnishing  addi- 
tional protection  to  the  station  equipment  as  well  as 
to  the  line.  Fusible  cutouts  are  also  inserted  at  each 
end  of  every  reinforcing  feeder  from  the  station. 

POWER  GENERATION. 

The  marked  favor  in  which  the  Edison  generator  is 
held  is  sufficient  guarantee  of  their  electrical  and  me- 
chanical construction.  They  are  economical  in  floor 
space,  and  the  centre  of  gravity  of  the  moving  parts 
being  lojv,  insures  perfect  freedom  from  vibration. 
Their  commercial  efficiency  is  over  90  per  cent. 

The  self-oiling  bearings  run  practically  without  at- 
tention, the  oil  requiring  renewal  only  about  once  in 
six  weeks. 

A novel  feature  which  has  been  introduced  by  the 
Edison  Company  into  Power  Station  Equipment  is  the 
Controlling  Table. 

These  tables  are  manufactured  in  sections,  and  have 
all  the  necessary  Station  instruments  mounted  compact- 
ly upon  them.  When  any  addition  to  the  plant  is  de- 
sired, additional  sections  containing  the  necessary 
additional  instruments  can  be  supplied,  which  can  be 
placed  in  position  and  connected  up  in  a very  few 
hours,  thereby  avoiding  the  delays  caused  by  the  ad- 
ditional wiring,  and  extension  of  the  existing  switch- 
board. 

These  tables  are  constructed  of  slate  or  other  fire- 
proof material. 

Sectional  Feeder  Boards  with  the  necessary  instru- 
ments are  also  supplied  when  required. 

CAR  EQUIPMENT. 

In  the  Edison  System  the  motors  are  supported  and 
centered  upon  the  axles  at  one  end  and  carried  by 
flexible  support  or  suspension  springs  at  the  other, 
thus  relieving  the  motor  from  sudden  jars  or  strains 
in  starting  or  reversing  of  the  motor. 


EDISON  CONTROLLING  TABLE  FOR  ELECTRIC  RAILWAY  POWER  STATIONS. 


EDISON  SNOW  PLOW  AND  SWEEPER. 


9 


* 


The  speed  of  the  motor  is  governed  by  a peculiar 
controlling  switch,  which,  by  varying  the  position  of  the 
lever,  changes  the  relations  between  the  armature  and 
field  coils  so  that  their  electrical  combinations  are 
altered,  thereby  varying  the  speed,  without  the  use  of 
external  resistances. 

Both  motors  are  simultaneously  controlled  from 
either  end  of  the  car,  by  a single  movement  of  the 
switch  lever,  making  the  handling  of  the  cars  extremely 
simple;  the  driver  or  motor  man  requires  little  more 
instruction  than  is  necessary  when  learning  to  drive  a 
horse  car. 

The  field  coils  of  the  motor  are  wound  on  separate 
spools  of  insulating  material,  which  spools  can  be 
readily  replaced  if  necessary. 

The  armatures  are  wound  with  the  greatest  care, 
several  weeks  being  required  to  complete  them. 

In  case  of  accident  or  danger  to  human  life  the 
motors  can  be  instantly  reversed,  whereas  in  other 
systems  two  or  three  distinct  operations  are  necessary 
before  a car  can  be  stopped  and  the  motors  reversed, 
thereby  increasing  the  risk  of  accident. 

Our  double  equipments  are  fitted  with  a cutout 
switch  by  which  the  man  in  charge  of  the  car  can  cut 
out  either  one  of  the  motors  in  case  it  is  disabled  and 
thus  enable  the  car  to  complete  the  trip  with  the  other 
motor;. 

Snow. 

In  case  of  heavy  snow  storms  tro'uble  may  be 
avoided  by  the  use  of  a properly  constructed  snow  plow, 
propelled  by  two  15  H.  P.  or  larger  motors,  and  having 
sweepers  operated  by  an  additional  motor  properly 
connected  to  them,  the  whole  of  the  machinery  being 
easily  handled  and  under  the  direct  control  of  the  man 
in  charge.  A cut  of  the  Edison  snow  plow  will  be 
found  on  the  opposite  page. 

LINE  CONSTRUCTION. 

Much  time  and  study  have  been  spent  in  obtaining 
the  lightest,  strongest  and  least  unsightly  overhead 


10 


construction  possible,  and  the  line  appliances  and 
material  for  construction  now  used  by  the  Edison 
Company  give  a structure  at  once  simple,  reliable  and 
elegant. 

The  small  size  of  the  silicon  bronze  wire  suspended 
over  the  track  reduces  the  breakage  of  span  wires  and 
the  sagging  of  the  poles,  to  minimum.  The  use  of  feeders 
and  cutouts  prevent  the  accidental  breakage  of  a trolley 
wire  from  stopping  the  whole  system. 


Guard  Wires. 

To  avoid  accidents  and  burnouts  caused  by  broken 
telephone,  telegraph  and  electric  light  wires  falling* 
across  the  bare  trolley  wire,  guard  wires  are  erected 
above  the  latter  wherever  necessary,  thus  preventing 
vexatious  delays  and  costly  repairs. 


The  foregoing  statements  are  borne  out  by  the  suc- 
cessful operation  of  roads  equipped  with  the  Edison 
System  in  all  parts  of  the  country,  and  in  many  in- 
stances the  satisfaction  of  the  local  companies  is  shown 
in  a practical  manner  by  a second,  third,  and  sometimes 
a fourth  order  for  additional  equipment. 


THE  EDISON  25  H.  P.  SINGLE  REDUCTION 
STREET  CAR  MOTOR. 

Although  the  application  of  the  high  speed  electric 
motor  conveying  power  to  the  car  axle  by  a double  re- 
duction gear  has  demonstrated  beyond  question  the 
practicability  and  economy  of  electric  railroading,  it 
has  become  evident  that  improvement  could  be  effected 
by  the  elimination  of  some  of  the  gearing  heretofore 
employed.  The  modification  necessary  to  accomplish 
this  purpose,  readily  suggests  itself  in  the  reduction  of 
the  initial  speed  of  the  motor  and  the  employment  of  a 
single  reduction  only  between  the  motor  and  the  car 
axle.  As  the  power  of  the  motor  is  the  product  of  the 


Fig.  1. 


Fig.  2. 


EDISON  SINGLE  REDUCTION  STREET  CAR  MOTOR. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


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Elec.  Engr,  N.  Y. 


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Fig.  3. 


EDISON  SINGLE  REDUCTION  STREET  CAR  MOTOR. 


13 


torque  into  the  speed,  the  application  of  the  slow  speed 
motor  necessitates  a construction  such  that  the  torque 
of  the  motor  shall  be  increased  in  the  same  proportion 
as  its  speed  is  reduced.  This  is  best  carried  out  in  the 
multipolar  machine,  and  in  keeping  with  the  progress 
going  on  in  their  other  departments,  the  Edison  Gen- 
eral Electric  Company  are  now  building  a type  of  sin- 
gle reduction  street  car  motor  which  embodies  several 
novel  features. 

In  our  illustrations  of  this  machine,  Figs,  i and  2,  the 
motor  is  shown  in  perspective  as  seen  from  either  end  of 
the  armature,  the  gears  being  removed  from  the  shaft  in 
Fig.  2 in  order  to  expose  the  commutator  and  brush  ar- 
rangement. The  more  detailed  construction  of  the  motor 
is  shown  in  Figs.  3 and  4,  from  which  it  will  be  seen  that 
the  machine  is  of  the  four-pole  type  and  practically  iron- 
clad. Only  two  poles,  those  in  the  horizontal  plane, 
are  wound,  the  two  in  the  vertical  plane  being  magnet- 
ized by  induction  from  the  same  spools  and  forming,  as 
it  were,  consequent  poles  of  opposite  polarity.  The 
entire  field,  consisting  of  special  soft  cast-steel,  is  made 
in  one  casting  with  the  exception  of  the  pole  pieces 
which  are  attached  by  screw  bolts  after  th^  spools  have 
been  slipped  on  over  the  straight  cores  at  the  sides. 
These  pole  pieces,  it  will  be  noted,  extend  for  a short 
distance  beyond  the  field  coils,  and'  practically  80  per 
cent,  of  the  whole  spool  is  surrounded  by  iron.  As  a 
result  of  this  construction  and  the  employment  of  cast- 
steel,  the  magnetizing  force  required  to  attain  the  pro- 
per degree  of  magnetization  is  small,  and  from  the 
nature  of  the  construction  there  is  little  magnetism 
which  is  not  utilized. 

The  magnetizing  coils  are  wound  in  three  sections 
on  vulcabeston  spools,  which,  as  stated  above,  are 
slipped  on  over  the  cores.  In  the  construction  of  the 
machine  the  facing  of  the  armature  bearing  and  the 
cylindrical  armature  space  are  bored  out  at  one  boring, 
and  by  loosening  two  bolts  the  armature  can  be  slipped 
out  completely,  so  that  inspection  can  be  effected  with 
great  facility.  The  armature,  which  is  of  the  Gramme 
type,  is  built  up  of  punched  soft  iron  rings  insulated 


14 


from  each  other,  and  with  the  end  plates  of  wrought 
iron  and  bevelled.  On  the  interior  diameter  of  the 
hollow  cylinder  built  up  in  this  manner,  there  are  four 
grooves  placed  90°  from  each  other,  and  into  these 
grooves  the  aluminum-bronze  spiders  are  pressed  by 
hydraulic  pressure,  two  spiders  being  employed  and 
bolted  together.  In  this  way  a firm  mechanical  con- 
nection is  made  between  the  armature  shaft  and  the  ring. 

The  diameter  of  the  armature  is  18  inches,  and  its 
length  13  inches.  The  shaft  is  3 inches  in  diameter,  and 
upon  each  end  is  mounted  a pinion  which  meshes  with 
the  large  gears  at  each  end  of  the  axle,  thus  equalizing 
the  powqr  on  the  axle.  One  end  of  the  magnet  forms 
the  car  axle  bearing  and  the  other  is  suspended  by  a 
spring  at  the  nozzle  for  easy  starting.  The  commutator 
has  been  made  specially  large,  being  10  inches  in 
diameter. 

The  armature  is  wound  in  140  sections,  and  on  ac- 
count of  the  strong  field  employed,  and  the  method  of 
connection  to  the  commutator,  no  spark  is  observed. 
The  winding  is  put  on  in  one  continuous  length  of  wire, 
and  at  each  section  a tap  wire  of  German  silver  is  taken 
to  the  commutator.  The  object  of  employing  a German 
silver  wire  will  become  obvious  when  it  is  pointed  out 
that,  as  is  well  known,  the  brush  in  passing  from  one 
commutator  segment  to  another  short-circuits  the  coil 
between  them  for  an  instant.  The  introduction  of  the 
German  silver  wire  with  its  increased  resistance  reduces 
the  current  induced  by  the  short  circuit  considerably, 
and,  hence,  the  sparking  due  to  that  cause; ‘and  it  also 
aids  materially  in  cutting  down  the  current,  it  by  any 
accident  the  motor  should  be  accidentally  short  circuit- 
ed. It  will  be  evident,  however,  that  in  the  operation 
of  the  machine  only  those  two  German  silver  wires  are 
in  circuit  which  lead  from  the  commutator  segments  im- 
mediately under  the  brushes,  all  the  others  being,  of 
course,  without  current  during  the  period  between  their 
travel  from  one  brush  to  the  other;  hence,  although  the 
introduction  of  these  two  short  lengths  of  German  silver 
wire  has  no  appreciable  effect  upon  the  normal  opera- 
tion of  the  armature  it  affords  a simple  method  of  avoid- 
ing sparking  and  danger  from  short  circuits.  The  en- 


15 


tire  machine  is  encased  in  a water-tight  cover,  and  its 
total  weight  with  gears  is  about  2,200  pounds.  The  ma- 
chine is  rated  at  25  H.  P.,  but  will  readily  develop  30  H. 
P.  It  is  intended  to  apply  two  of  these  machines  to  each 
car  of  the  double  truck  type,  while  one  machine  alone 
wili  be  ample  to  drive  the  smaller  cars.  The  motor  is 
of  the  series  type  and  the  regulation  is  effected  by  vary- 
ing the  combination  of  the  fields,  which  are  wound  in 
three  sections.  By  this  method  of  regulation  the  use  of 
a rheostat  is  avoided. 

Four  carbon  brushes  ate  employed,  and  the  brush 
holders  being  rigidly  fastened  to  the  frame,  require  no 
shifting  throughout  the  range  of  load  to  which  the 
motor  is  subjected.  The  motor  is  calculatedto  revolve 
at  460  revolutions  with  the  car  running  at  a speed  of  12 
miles  an  hour. 

THE  EDISON  15  H.  P.  SINGLE  REDUCTION 
MOTOR. 

A 15  H.  P.  single  reduction  iron  clad  motor  of  the 
same  type  and  construction  is  manufactured  by  the 
Edison  Company  for  use  on  level  roads  or  light  track 
where  smaller  machines  are  required  at  a«lower  cost. 

15  H.  P.  DOUBLE  REDUCTION  MOTORS  FOR 
STREET  RAILWAY  WORK. 

The  Edison  Company  now  manufacture  a new  type 
of  15  H.  P.  Double  Reduction  Motor,  designated  No. 
8,  which  is  much  stronger  and  stiffer  than  the  older 
machines. 

This  motor  also  contains  several  improvements,  is 
very  compact  in  construction,  and  will  operate  easily 
on  narrow  guage  roads.  It  has  a better  form  of  arma- 
ture bearings,  superior  arrangement  of  lubricating 
appliances,  a stronger  and  simpler  method  of  attaching 
the  brush  holders,  a larger  and  improved  commutator, 
and  is  used  two  motors  to  a car,  connected  in  series, 
thus  dividing  the  load  equally  between  the  two  motors, 
and  is,  without  the  complication  of  equalizing  coils, 
equal  in  every  respect  to  the  No.  6 in  all  ordinary 
duties  required  in  operating  standard  street  cars. 


EDISON  (No.  8)  15  H.  P.  DOUBLE  REDUCTION  STREET  CAR  MOTOR. 


17 


With  the  No.  8 motor  a car  can  be  operated  at  the 
slowest  possible  movement  for  starting,  and  up  to  a 
maximum  of  9 to  15  miles  per  hour,  according  to 
ratio  of  gearing  employed. 

The  motors  being  operated  in  series,  the  work  is 
exactly  equalized  between  the  two  motors;  and  each 
motor  being  under  only  250  volts  pressure,  they  are 
much  less  liable  to  electrical  faults  than  other  motors. 

In  practical  work  with  over  200  motors  they  have 
proven  to  be  thoroughly  reliable,  in  fact,  we  have  no 
reports  of  accidents  to  this  machine. 

Owing  to  the  reduced  voltage  on  the  machines,  pos- 
sibility of  accident  is  reduced  to  a minimum,  and  there- 
fore the  method  described  above  commends  itself  to  all 
practical  men  as  the  most  economical  and  satisfactory. 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  RAILWAY  CINCINNATI 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  RAILWAY,  ATLANTIC  CITY, 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  RAILWAY,  ATLANTIC  CITY 


DISTRICT  OFFICES. 


CANADIAN  DISTRICT  : 

Edison  Building,  Toronto , Can. 

CENTRAL  DISTRICT! 

173-175  Adams  Street,  Chicago,  III. 

EASTERN  DISTRICT  ! 

Edison  Building,  Broad  Street,  New  York. 

NEW  ENGLAND  DISTRICT: 

25  Otis  Street,  Boston,  Mass. 

PACIFIC  COAST  district: 

Edison  Building,  112  Bush  Street, 

San  Francisco,  Cal. 

PACIFIC  NORTHWEST  DISTRICT: 

Fleischner  Building,  Portland,  Ore. 

ROCKY  MOUNTAIN  DISTRICT: 

Masonic  Building,  Denver,  Col. 

SOUTHERN  DISTRICT: 

10  Decatur  Street,  Atlanta,  Ga, 


